Means for temporarily supporting structural elements



' March 29,1932. w. H. WEISKOPF MEANS FOR TEMPORARILY SUPPORTINGISTRIXJCTURAL ELEMENTS 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Jan. 14, 1930 INVENTOR March 29, 1932. w, w K 1,851,026

MEANS- FOR TEMPORARILY SUPPORTING STRUCTURAL ELEMENTS Filed Jan. 14, 1930 2 Sheets-Shee 2 INVENTOR warm/k le Patented Mar. 29, 1932 V v I TUMTE PS OFFICE WALTER n. WEI-530131025 crmnnnunsir nnw 7103K I MEANS FOR TEMPORARILYISUPP ETING STRUCTURAL EIJEMENT'S Application filed January 14, 1930. Serial No. 4220;650.

'My present invention relates generally to t'ain in abutting relationship. I provide, for steel structures, more particularly to'buildexample, at least one pair of relatively ad'- ing structures, and has particular reference justable gripping jaws which are so conto certain improvements re'latingto the art structed and arranged that a firm grasp may 1.; of steel erection by means of welding as disbe efi'ected under a variety of necessarily dif 55 tinguished from riveting. fering conditions presented by the varying lily present application constitutes a consizes and positional relationships of the partinuation in part of my co-pending-applicaticular beams with which they are employed. tion Serial No. 214,033. One feature of my present invention lies The advantages .of welding, as compared inprovidinga devicewhich is designed to en- 60 with riveting, are, known to those skilled in gage. the web of. astructural steel beam. the art and are briefly outlined in the, fore- This may be accomplished either by positive going pending application. As pointed out engagement with the web or by purely fricin said application, one of the problems aristional association therewith. The positive ing'in the relatively new art of steel erecengagement may be effected bypassing suit-- 65 tion by welding lies in the temporary retenably prepared jaws through perforations in tion of beams and columns in proper and firm the web or webs, or by. providing abutment-s relationship preparatory to the actual weldor lugs on the web against which jaw meming operations. hers may findv support.

4- It is a general object of my present inven- In amodified construction, the jaws are "7 pable of removable application to the various drawings wherein( tion to provide a method and means for temadapted-to engagethe flanges of the strucporarily retaining structural steel elements turalisteel beams and are so designedthat or beams in proper relationship and position, thefirmnessof engagement is increased as the preparatory to the mutual welding thereof, medial tie portion is shortened in length.

. without the employment of bolts, rivets, or Fortheattainment ofthe foregoing objects '15 any other similar devices necessitating apreand" such other objects as may hereinafter liininary preparation of accurately aligned appear or be pointed out, I haveconstructed holes or the like. More particularly, my adevice embodying the features of my inveninvention provides a temporarytie device cation and illustrated in the. accompanying beams, columns, and other structural steel Figaue 1 is a vertical side View of a typical 0 elements, at a variety of points, and in a flanged column and a flanged beam abutted variety of ways for securely holding such elethereagainst, showing one form of my inven ments together and in abutment with each tion appliedthereto;

135 other preparatory to the welding operations F igure. Qis a diagonally downward view which follow thereafter. taken along the line 2.2of Figural;

A general object of my invention is to pro- Figure 3 is a'view similar to Figure l,showvide a device which may, be employed reing a modified form .of tie device; peatedly, which is adaptable to the neces- Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan viewtaken sarily variable sizes and positions of the substantially along the :line 4r.4 of Figure 3; '90 structural elements with which it is to be Figure 5 is aview similar to Figure '1, shows used; one which is simple and inexpensive ing a further modification; 1

to manufacture, easy to apply and use, equal- Figure 6 is afragmentary plan View taken 1y simple to remove, yet efiicient and absolute substantially along the line 6i-.-6 of Figure 5; a

' ly reliable in fulfilling its important function. Figure 7 is a vertical side'view similar "to 9'5 Biiefiymny device consists of a medial tie Figure 1-, showing a slightly dilferent appliortion provided with means for adjusting cation of my tie device; a the length thereof,and means associated with Figure 8 is a view similar to Figure 7-, showthe ends of such tie portion for releasably ing a modification; and

' grasping the beams which it is desired to re- 7 Figure 9 1s a fragmentary cross-sectional 1'00 ing thereof is not essential.

view taken substantially along the line 99 of Figure 8.

In Figure 1, I have shown a typical structural; steel column 16 having a medial web portion 1'? and two parallel outer flanges l8 and 19, the column illustrated being of H cross-section. Abutted thereagainst, perpendicularly, I have shown a typical I-beam 20 provided with a web 21 and top and bottom flanges 22 and 23. The beam 20 is abutted against the'flange l9, and when the structure is ultimately welded, a bead of welding will probably be applied in the angle 24 and also in the angles 25 on opposite sides of the web 21.

In an abutinentof this character, I have found it desirable to provide an angle 26 upon the flange 19, whereby the end of the beam 20 may be initially rested upon this angle after it is raised by the derrick or hoist and before or during the application of the present temporary tie devices. The angle 26 is not intended to serve any permanent supporting function.

In Figures land 2, I have shown a tie device having the medial adjustable tie portion 27, the latter being provided with loops 28 at its opposite ends. The adjustability is provided for by mounting the loops 28 upon threaded shank portions 29 engaging with the opposite ends of an internally threaded adjusting member.

Carried by each loop 28 are two relatively adjustable gripping jaws 31, these jaws being looped at their rear ends to engage with the loop 28. The jaws extend divergently away from the loop 28 and have their outer ends 32 disposed inwardly and of sufficient length to engage with the web 17. A similar set of jaws may be arranged at the other end of the tie portion 27 and in association with the other loop 28.

It is to be noted that the jaws 31 extend around the flange of the beam with which they are associated, and that these jaws thereupon engage in apositive manner with the web of such beam. In the construction of Figures 1 and 2, the engagement with the web is a positive one, since I provide a perforation 1 in the web 17 and a similar perforation 33 in the web 21. These perforations are preferably made in the shop during the manufacture of the beam, but they differ from rivetholes or the like because an accurate position- They may also be provided in the field, at any convenient point or points, for the purpose of receiving the aw ends 32 therethrough.

In Figure 1, I have shown the two ends 32 passing in overlapping relationship through the perforation 30, but it will be understood that this is not essential and each aw may be caused to pass through its own individual opening in the web. It will also be understood that whereas I have shown one tie device, another symmetrically positioned tie device will probably extend downwardly from a perforation 34 for the purpose of balancing the pull of the beam 20 toward the column 16.

It is to be noted that the ends 32 are of circular crosssection so that when they engage within an opening of the character shown they may find firm support regardless of the obliquity which the tie device as a whole assumes. The angularity of the tie device will of course depend upon the relative positions of the perforations in the webs, and this positional relationship will vary in different cases but will have no effect upon the firmness with which my device holds the two beams in association.

It will be found that this manner of holding the beam 20 in abutment with the column 16 is sufficiently staunch and reliable to permit a number of additional stories of structural, steelwork to be erected in this manner. And it will be understood that after the welding has been effected, the tie devices are removed and are then ready forreemployment at other similar portions of the structure. The circular shape of the loops 28 and the construction of the aws 31 render the latter adjustable in a lateral direction and permit the same to be applied to beams having flanges of different widths. The lengths of the ends 32 are pref-erably so designed that they will extend to and through the web in a substantial number of cases encountered in the field. Vhere differences in size are extreme, tic devices of slightly larger web dimensions may be employed.

In Figures 3 and 4, I have shown a similar type of device wherein the provision of perforations in the webs has been dispensed with. A medial tie portion 35 is again provided with the two ioops Associated with each loop is a supporting member 37 which is adapted to overlie the adjacent flange. Thus, in F igures 3 and 4, I have shown the loop 37 overlying the upper flange 38 of the horizontal beam Pivoted, as at 40 and 41, to the opposite ends of the member 37 are the cam jaws 42 and 43. These jaws are positioned beneath the flange 38 and are disposed inwardly toward the web of the beam 39. They have curved surfaces 44 which wedge the web between them when tension is exerted upon the member 37 by a shortening in length of the medial portion 35.

A. description of one side of this modified tie device will be suflicient since the other end is similarly constructed. In this case, although the engagement is again with the webs of the two beams, it is a purely frictional engagement. This construction will be found satisfactory to hold the beam 39 in the desired abutting relationship with the column 45.

In Figures 5 and 6, I have shown a device similar to that of Figure 3 wherein the en posite sides ofthewehofthe beam 52. NVh'en this ,device is used, a blow with a hammer-or .1 9 the like will force-the jaws i9 and 150 inward= ly into firmly wedgedrelationshiphehindthe abutments 51, and when the medial tie por- 7 tion 53 is shortened in length, the beam 2,is drawn firmly up againstthe column 54.--jand held-in-rigid association-therewith.

To illustrate the manner in Whi h-inydevice is not of necessity limited to the support of angularly disposed structural steel beams, I have shown in Figure 7 an application of my tie devices to a pair of beams or columns 55 and 56 held in abutment endto end. I provide perforations 57 and 58 inthe beam 55, and similar perforations 59 and 60 in the beam 56. A tie device having the medial tie I. portion 61 is provided with the jaws 62 which engage around the flange 63 and through the perforation 57; and with a similar set of jaws 64 which extend around the flange 65 and through the perforation 59. A similar tie device has the medial adjustable portion 56, the jaw 67 engaging with theperforation 58, and the jaw 68 engaging with the perforation 60.

It is to be noted that the medial tie portions lie alongside of the beam and substantially parallel to the latter. In this type of device, I prefer to provide the intermediate loops or rings 69 between each medial tie portion and the jaws carried thereby, these rings or loops resting upon the flanges of the beams and keeping the medial portions slightly spaced from the flanges so as to render adjustment thereof capable of easy accomplishment.

Here, too, although I have shown one per fora-tion for each pair of jaws, additional perforations may, if desired, be provided, or it may be advisable in some instances to provide a single perforation through which both the jaws 62 and 67, for example, might be caused to pass. In any event, it is to be noted, however, that the provision of the perforations is a matter of extreme simplicity, since their position need not be accurate.

with the adjustability in an oblique direction by virtue of the ring 69, and the circular cross-section of the jaws, enables the device to find a firm engagement with the desired webs in all cases.

In Figures 8 and 9, I have shown a device used for a purpose similar to that shown in Figure 7, wherein the jaws are so constructed that firm frictional engagement with the fianges,'as distinguished from the webs, is ac- The lateral adj ustability of the jaws, together complisheda This construct-ion sis larly adapted to the maintenance of. two'end to end beams-in abutting-re ation hip, =-a1- though it vis notlimited te-thisnse- I Aimedia tie; portion 1@ro-uided w-ith the loops 5111 7 and h 'links rings 732 A'pairo jaws '73: i as ciated with ea h link 72. an eng bout, th adiace t'flanga Else jaws ta-o gur 8 engage around heflange 4oit b nrn-orcoiuinn 7 i T Each ja a -.rear portion -76=apertured to. permit po it oningtiiere f p n; thelink 72, and=- xtendi aang a y y the longitudina l a xis of theitie -portio .70.. df "the. j w s' substa -ti llv'U'sh Q d,

a ha ng-,nc tfions 77 and ZS-Qadapted to;

sa'g h' pp s teur es Qttheflang 74:

r pe tively- 1 l ti t ning M19 7 may-ad? vag age u y end etween h ip rtion 76 an P, V, M

The portion-77 is provided witha projection or point' of contact 80,-.and thejportion is provided with a similar point of. contact 81,:tl1ese points being o'fiset-with respect, to

wellth bath l ngi inally v and; lateral w 1y. Thus, in FigurezQ, it will beseenthat the point SO is nearer to the web of the beam 7.5 than the p in 181 awhile Figure 8, it. ill be seen th thepo nt 80 isv- -nea-rer w the abutment of the two columns than the point 9; .81 This ojfiset relationship, particularlythe one illustrated-in: Figure 8,,causesthe jawfto engage hefl -ng 7%; mor firm y a the, tie portions 70 isishortened.

7 Ob iously, innumerable I other modifi s? ti nsmaybe con tru d; an the featur s herein described and illustratd may be com,- binedin a. variety of ways. Although Ifind iteprefer'abl to-"engage 11915538 in a posir t a rat the websthereo'f, neve fli" as i -certain instances this ty eof engagement may be supplanted byengagementfof the flanges as'shown inFiguIesS and9l Andal: though I pr er the per orated cause; of their. simplicity because'of the fi m ss of. engageme hic Such a com istrncti-on afi'ordglit will be understobd that my invention is broadly not'lliniited" t0 particular construction; For'these reasons, it will be maensioed an; changes in the details h r in described an i l strated or the purpo of xpl -in' ngr he naturev of my.. nvei' tion may be madefby those sk-illediii, theart withoutdeparting from the sp'ir'itand scope of the invention as expressedin' the append? ed c aims is'therefo c'intended thatthesc c dctailSbe.interpretedi as illustrative limit gisensa g f Ha ing thus-i l eli ed ll ynvention and illustrateditsguse, whatl r w find e r o ecureiby Let rslia ntis Y 1; or u ein e P Q S %0-3I8Q n "3m1 stru urewhi h-includ two a utting truc-z tural steel; beams at l astone'ofwhich hes-e web and a-flfit1g@ mporary ie-devicere:- ill 2. For use in the process of erecting a steel structure which includes two abutting structural steel beams at least one of which has a flange and a perforated web, a temporary tie device removably applicable to said beams to retain them in abutting relationship, said device comprising a medial tie portion provided with means for adjusting the length thereof, a loop at each end of said medial portion, and means associated with said loops 7 for engaging said beams, said last-named means including a pair of jaws carried by one of said loops and adapted to extend around said flange and through said perforated web.

3.'In a temporary steel structure which includes two flanged and webbed structural steel beams abutting end to end, an independent tie device, removably applicable to said beams to hold them in abutting relationship, said device comprising a medial tie portion provided with means for adjusting the length thereof and adapted to lie alongside of said beams substantially parallel thereto, and means associated with the opposite ends of said medial portion for engaging the webs of said beams, said last-named means including jaws which pass completely through said web. I

4. In a temporary steel structure which includes two flanged and'webbed structural steel beams abutting end to end, an independent tie device 'removably applicable to said beams to hold them in abutting relationship, said device comprising a medial tie portion provided with means for adjusting the length thereof and adapted tolie alongside of said beams substantially parallel thereto, and means associated with the opposite ends ofsaid medial portion for engaging the webs of said beams; said last-named means including a pair of jaws which pass completely through said web and which are arranged at an angle to said'medial portion and adapted to extend around the adjacent beam flange.

5. Ina temporary steel structure which includes two flanged and webbed structural steel beams abutting end to end, an independent tie device removbaly applicable to said beams to hold them in abutting relationship, said device comprising a medial tie portion provided with means for adjusting the length thereof and adapted to lie alongside of said beams substantially parallel thereto, and means associated with the opposite ends of said medial portion for engaging thewebs constructed as to engage about opposite flange edges" and to extend thence in overlapping relationship through said web perforation.

In witness whereof, I have signed and sealed this specification this 7th day of January, 1929.

- IVALTER H. IVEISKOPF. 

